John Deere Z960R 4.00 star(s) (1)

John Deere Z960R
Model Year: 2014

Engine / Power Train: The Z960R came with a 31HP Kawasaki engine and I never dreamed that 2HP would have made that much of a difference, but the power and torque from the 31HP engine feels like I am running a much larger engine. The Z960R engine will plow through 2 week un-mowed grass with ease and the engine still does not bog down like most others I have seen do. The one thing with this engine I need more practice with is mowing my pond dam, my old machine I would just creep up the dam no issues, but the new 31HP engine while mowing slow like I have been for the past 4 years will raise the front end up in a minute with minimum forward pressure on the control arms, so if anyone else upgrades to the new model just be prepared for the additional power and torque of these mowers. Suspension Seat: The new suspension seat Milsco V5300 on the Z960R, yes I can tell a world of difference with the ride, softness of the ride, and no hard bounce to it. The ride I experienced with the Z930 had the deluxe seat with the JD suspension kit added later after my injury and I was never able to dial in it to get a ride even close to what I have now. The new seat on the Z960R you just dial in your weight and enjoy the ride, the back of the seat reclines to allow customizing of the rear seat angle and do not forget the lumbar adjustment to support your spine. Now with that being said JD needs to replace the V5300 seat with the V5400 air ride seat, with the Comfort and Convenience Package JD really needs to add this better seat for a better and smoother ride for the R series machines. Changes Made to the Machine: I did change out the front tires to pneumatic tires which I purchased from Green Farm Parts. The tires I am very happy with the purchase, I have them inflated to 18 psi and they have eliminated the majority of the bounce from the front end which is very common while running the run-flat tires. When adding the pneumatic tires I had to check the pitch of the deck, my dealer sets all Ztrak decks to deck pitch so I set it back like it was. I have added several more little items, in my opinion will help with the operation of the machine as well. First, I placed a LED back-up light wired into my factory light wiring harness. This light is super bright which I purchased from SuperBrightLights.com and if I do get to mow at night, I will have no problem seeing around my machine. Also I added a Donaldson Air Filter Restriction Indicator, this will allow me to keep check on the air flow in my machine without having to remove the cover and inspect it all the time. With much discussion and wanting a better performing machine, I had the Rim Guard added to the rear tires by Cahall Bros John Deere of Flemingsburg Ky. The decision to do this was from other members on this site, which has done the same and from speaking with the service manager at Cahall. The only thing I can say is I wished I had done this to my two previous JD zero turn mowers. If you have this done, be sure to have your dealership perform this, that way your warranty is still fully intact. In case there is a problem, you warranty cannot be denied. Last, I added a Powerchute to my machine to help with the clippings going in places I do not want them to go. I originally had the Z960R with the MOD deck, but where the engineering is not correct for the baffle system on the MOD deck restricting the air flow and vacuum of the deck I had to return my first 960R and have the machine replaced the 7 iron deck. Overall Performance of the Machine: I am very impressed with this mower, power, torque, and a few places I would actually slide a tad and have to use more compensation to help eliminate the slide is not there anymore. It seems as this machine has a lower point of gravity, which stabilizes and handles better and this was before adding the Rim Guard and now the machine holds to embankments which I was never able to mow before. Controls are more sensitive especially with the travel and again, even before adding Rim Guard, so I am assuming the cross porting for the cooler hydraulic fluid is working keeping the transmissions cooler and more responsive. The Comfort and Convenience Package also helps set this machine above others. The ability to shut the power off to the deck with a push of a button located on your right control arm is something all mowers should have. Also, the on the left control arm there is another button that allows me to lift the deck up encase of a foreign object going under the deck or you have to travel over something you do not want to hit.

Pros: Power, torque, 7 iron deck, style, design, convenience and comfort package.
Cons: MOD deck is not engineered and fabricated correctly; the air flow does not work properly and leaves uncut grass at higher speeds; JD does not have front fork suspension system for the and Ztrak 900 series mowers.

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